Love on Ice (Manhattan Mavericks #1)
1. Felix
1
FELIX
“ A re you going with him or not?” I hear my teammate ask angrily.
“I don’t know.” I hear my girlfriend’s voice.
Huh? What is going on?
I’m about to step around the corner and give my friend a piece of my mind when I hear him ask, “Do you love me or him?”
Everything stills. What did he ask? Does she love him or me? Is that what he said? No. I couldn’t have heard that correctly. I must be mistaken.
“You know I love you, Stephen …” My heart stops. She loves my best friend? My teammate? I don’t understand, “… but you know it’s complicated.”
“There’s nothing complicated about it. You either love me or him?” my best friend demands from her.
“I love you, Stephen. I always have since high school.”
Since high school? I had no idea they knew each other. Yes, I knew they came from the same town, but they never told me they knew each other like that. My entire relationship seems to have been built on a lie.
“But you know the public will crucify me if I break up with Felix. Everything I’ve worked so hard for will be taken away. You will be fine, but me, they will rip me apart in the press.”
“I’ll protect you, baby,” he coos, and the pet name makes me want to vomit. I can’t believe this is happening.
“I know you will,” she says, and I hear them kissing. I can’t believe this. I’ve been with Cynthia for two years, and I’ve been Stephen’s teammate for one. “We have the summer to work it out. I told Felix I have work here and can’t go to New York with him. I’ll break up with him while he’s away and tell him that my career is here in LA. Then when the dust settles, we can go public.”
“You think he’s going to give you up that easily?” Stephen asks.
“He’s moving to New York. He signed a contract, so he doesn’t have a choice,” Cynthia states.
“And how long do I have to wait for us to go public? I’m sick of sneaking around. Now that I have found you again after all these years, I’m done waiting,” Stephen tells her. “I’ve waited nearly a year.”
“I know, baby, I’m sorry,” Cynthia says, placating him.
Fuck. They have been cheating for a year. The two closest people to me have betrayed me. I turn around from the corner I’ve been hiding behind and head back to my going away party.
“Felix, speech,” Dave, one of my teammates calls out to me. I nod and smile. I must put on the performance of a lifetime when inside, my entire world is crumbling as I walk up to the podium. I look out at the men, men I’ve called friends for the past three years. I’m wondering who the hell has known about the two of them. Everything I’ve done here in LA has now been tainted. Like the Stanley Cup we won last year but unfortunately couldn’t win again this year, all hollow memories now because of them.
I look up as Cynthia and Stephen walk back into the room through separate doors as if they hadn’t just imploded my life.
“You know I’m not one for many words, but I wanted to thank you guys for the last three years here in LA. I’m sorry that we couldn’t get over the line and be back-to-back winners.” They give me a round of applause. We missed out on the playoffs this year by a goal. A goal I missed. That must be one of the worst moments of my career. My team was depending on me, and I let them down. Just like they’ve now let you down.
I notice how Stephen and Cynthia seem to have migrated during my speech to be standing right beside one another, both looking up at me as if they hadn’t shattered me minutes ago. “You guys have been a great team to play with, but I couldn’t do another mild winter. You know me, I’m like a husky, I need to be surrounded by the white stuff, and I’ve been missing it.” The other Canadians on the team all clap in agreement. “But I wanted to make a special mention to my best friend Stephen and my girl Cynthia. I don’t know where I would be without the two of you,” the room erupts with applause, “I’d probably be a hell of a lot happier, that’s for sure.” The room slowly starts to die down and I can see the confused faces of my teammates and their partners as if they can’t quite believe they heard that right. “Just wanted to share who your new Captain really is.” And then I hit play on my phone. Stephen and Cynthia’s voices echo around the room, sharing the conversation they had in the corridor for everyone to hear. People start murmuring to each other.
“Felix, I can explain,” Cynthia calls out as she tries to run toward the podium.
“I don’t fucking care. He was my best friend. My teammate. How could you?” She bursts into tears but none of the other women help her. “And how could you?” I turn and glare at my best friend who rushes to console her.
“I love her. I have my entire life,” my best friend screams at me as he wraps her in his arms. The room gasps at Stephen’s public declaration.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew each other.” They both don’t answer me as shame floats over them. “Everything we built together was a fucking lie.”
“I’m sorry, Felix.” Cynthia cries.
“She was my first love, man,” Stephen adds.
“And what was I? The consolation prize? You should have broken up with me. Instead, you destroyed me with your lies and sneaking around,” I yell at them both. Cynthia is bawling her eyes out.
“We should have. I’m sorry,” he says.
“Your apology means nothing.” With that, I turn and walk out of the room, never to return.